Do Dive In Scuba Blog
Haigh Quarry, Kankakee, Illinois
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 08:48 PM
Located in Kankakee, Illinois, two hours from Peoria, Haigh Quarry is one of our favorite dive destinations in the Midwest. Haigh is an old limestone quarry with sheer rock walls, rock piles depths of up to 85 feet, and a healthy and diverse fish population that include sunfish, bass, northern pike, catfish, & spoon bill catfish. The north end of the lake is relatively shallow with depths of between 20 - 30 feet deep, and is a favorite location for northern Illinois dive stores to conduct their training dives.
This area contains a number of dive platforms and mining equipment. The southern portion of the quarry is around 40 - 60 feet deep with the south east corner having a "deep hole" at 85 feet. A number of man made objects have been sunk in this portion of the lake for the enjoyment of divers, including . A fun dive is to cruise along the wall in the deeper portion of the lake at depths between 20 - 25 feet. Two docks make diving the southern portion of the lake quite easy.
Above water amenities include a snack shack, changing rooms, and a stone pavilion with fire place. Equipment rentals and air fills are available on site. C card required. Daily entrance fee is $25
Mermet Springs, Illinois
Located in southern Illinois, Mermet Springs is approximately a 5 hour drive from Peoria. An old stone quarry, Mermet Springs most prominent natural feature is its sheer rock walls which plunge to a maximum depth in excess of 120 feet in areas.
Strode Lake, Canton, Illinois
Located in Canton Illinois, Strode Lake is one of several old coal strip mine lakes which were donated to the Canton Park District. Maximum depth is approximately 60 feet, but the best diving is between 20 & 30 feet along the weed line or on the various man-made objects which have been sunk in the lake which include a bus, coffin, two boats, a step van, and a semi tractor flat bed.
Chillicothe Recreational Area, Chillicothe, Illinois
Close to home, the Chillicothe Recreational Area actually consists of three gravel pits, one of which is open for scuba divers. Depths range from 10 feet to 26 feet.
Pearl Lake, South Beloit, Illinois
Pearl Lake is one of the oldest private diving lakes in Illinois and offers fishing, swimming and diving. An old gravel pit, average depth is between 30 & 40 feet with a maximum depth of 85 feet.